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| In this file picture a diver wearing a Santa Claus costume feeds a beluga, or white whale. A Hong Kong theme park has dropped a controversial plan to buy and import rare wild-caught beluga whales, in a decision lauded by conservationists who had protested against the bid. (AFP Photo/Yoshikazu Tsuno) |
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Hong Kong.A Hong Kong theme park has dropped a contentious plan to buy and import rarewild-caught beluga whales, in a decision lauded Friday by conservationists whohad protested against the bid.
Activistsopposed Ocean Park’s plan to import the whales, classified as “nearthreatened,” from Russia, saying they are often injured or killed duringcapture and mortality rates are high among those in captivity.
The parkhad wanted to use the belugas, usually found around the Arctic circle, to raisepublic awareness of climate change through its new Polar Adventure attractionto open next year.
“After dueconsideration, we have decided not to pursue an acquisition from the wild eventhough the removal of some beluga whales has been shown to be sustainable,” AllanZeman, Ocean Park’s chairman, said in a statement.
The popular34-year-old theme park and aquarium is owned by the Hong Kong government andhas set out ambitious plan to boost visitors. Tourists from mainland China madeup 60 percent of its five million visitors last year.
The beluga,or white whale, is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s(IUCN) “red list” of “near threatened” species, while the US and Canada haveeffectively banned the whales’ capture from their waters.
“The parkdid the right thing. We certainly welcome the decision,” Samuel Hung, chairmanof the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, told AFP.
AFP
